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re: Not lining their pockets...
... because the members of the EC won't see any of the fine.

No, this is about the gratification of producing a command economy in Europe. A bureaucrat hidden somewhere in a gray office building will design Microsoft products and decide what must be open sourced from proprietary software companies.

And they wonder why there's no innovation?

But let's be honest. This is a bunch of socialists (YES, let's call a spade a spade) who want to redistribute the wealth. Given that Microsoft is one of the richest countries on the planet, they're a BIG target for the blood sucking leeches. Of COURSE the EU commission wants MS to FAIL to comply. 5 million Euros (or about $10 MILLION USD) a day may not seem like much, but it does add up. While the commission members themselves may not directly see all that much of it, I'm fairly sure they would be seeing their share. This whole thing smacks of the Oil for Food scandal and the other shenanigans going on in Europe.

As far as Real is concerned, their situation is NOT a surprise. They're NOT the first company to take advantage of files already installed by default on Windows and they won't be the last. It makes sense, not to mention is cheaper to use existing APIs and DLLs whenever possible. No sense reinventing the wheel especially if you can't make your wheel any rounder than the one already in place.
Posted by: Wolfie2K3   Posted on: 05/31/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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What a bunch of blithering idiots. Imagine all the negative press in Europe  DonnieBoy | 05/30/05
Gee, here I thought you was talking bout the EU  quietLee | 05/31/05
This is no Witch hunt, Microsoft just needs to comply, really very simple.  DonnieBoy | 05/31/05
They have complied, EU commision changing their minds...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Good strategy, the the Europeans they are stupid!!  DonnieBoy | 05/31/05
Your title is missing one little bitty word -  quietLee | 05/31/05
Hey the Frogs turned down the Constitution...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Yep - politics like AirBus are involved all right  quietLee | 05/31/05
Microsoft can be right as rain, and still shoot themselves in the foot.  DonnieBoy | 05/31/05
With who? Not the EU users...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Not lining their pockets...  Anton Philidor | 05/31/05
Last time I checked, Linux and Firefox usage were a lot higher in Europe.  DonnieBoy | 05/31/05
re: Not lining their pockets...  Wolfie2K3 | 05/31/05
You are right about the WTO...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Yeah right!  osreinstall | 05/31/05
The problem, as you can see by the posts ...  Judas I. | 05/31/05
Why your argument is completely without truth.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
And no one, I repeat, NO ONE ...  Judas I. | 05/31/05
So far, "the rules" don't exist.  Anton Philidor | 05/31/05
So, why did MS cough up the fine?  Judas I. | 05/31/05
Fines can be refunded...  Anton Philidor | 05/31/05
Anton, so MICROSOFT was the one hedging their bets?  Judas I. | 05/31/05
You think Microsoft hasn't taken the charges to court?  Anton Philidor | 05/31/05
Gee, I wish we could bet on this one, Anton.  Judas I. | 05/31/05
Oh, and MS being "a fine, upstanding company,"  Judas I. | 05/31/05
You're saying those protocols are not important enough...  Anton Philidor | 05/31/05
Anton, you're playing word games with the word "important."  Judas I. | 06/01/05
I beg to differ ... your point is utter garbage !!!  George Jay | 05/31/05
Unfair?  Wolfie2K3 | 05/31/05
You keep sliding right by the word "monopoly," guy.  Judas I. | 05/31/05
Outrageous prices  osreinstall | 05/31/05
Outrageous prices  petrasys@... | 05/31/05
Some proprietory driver  osreinstall | 05/31/05
MS prices are FAIR!?!?  Judas I. | 06/01/05
Sucks for a home network  osreinstall | 06/01/05
osreinstall - The *NIX world is changing  Judas I. | 06/02/05
Free is good but there is a catch  osreinstall | 06/02/05
The contention is not with the "EU"...  Anton Philidor | 05/31/05
Given the EU's initiative to push OSS  FilledOut | 05/30/05
But, they still need to slow the groth of OSS in Europe as much as possible  DonnieBoy | 05/30/05
And to add to MS's problems  alterego_z | 05/31/05
I think not  cashaww | 05/31/05
Microsoft would enjoy being damaged like Standard Oil.  Anton Philidor | 05/31/05
European supremacy  thedesh | 05/30/05
They're still..  d_jedi | 05/30/05
EU Conflict over MS  enduser_z | 05/30/05
Linux ban not that difficult.  Anton Philidor | 05/31/05
Well, whatever, Microsoft is still in denial, they need to deal with this.  DonnieBoy | 05/30/05
What the --EC-- is asking of Microsoftr is not simple.  Anton Philidor | 05/31/05
Also, just today, the White House is filing a suit over Airbus.  DonnieBoy | 05/30/05
Is the same government that spied on Airbus?  figgle | 05/31/05
Well, I certainly would be last to back up our bumbling president.  DonnieBoy | 05/31/05
Timeline  rapson | 05/31/05
Well, which president did what is irrelevant.  DonnieBoy | 05/31/05
Appeals  rapson | 05/31/05
remember that  eLurker | 05/31/05
To Rapson. Microsoft appealed and asked for a stay. The stay was denied.  DonnieBoy | 05/31/05
Same government?  rapson | 05/31/05
It seems to me  cashaww | 05/31/05
Microsoft Innocent  Joe Blow_z | 05/31/05
MICROSUCKS is a convicted criminal and should be punished !  realitycheck101 | 05/30/05
Criminal?  richhayes | 05/30/05
This has been debated before (Oct 2004)  Richard Flude | 05/30/05
And, of course, what went largely unnoticed on this side of the pond...  Yen_z | 05/30/05
Can you show me the part  IT Scion | 05/30/05
Ain't the Greek word BALONEY?  MicroFedUp | 05/30/05
Re: Can you show me the part  node357 | 05/31/05
Anti-trust and EU  richhayes | 05/31/05
Antitrust is our friend  Richard Flude | 05/31/05
Antitrust  richhayes | 05/31/05
Lets see  Richard Flude | 05/31/05
Issue is the penalties, not the offenses.  Anton Philidor | 05/31/05
Um, none...but....  figgle | 05/31/05
None but  richhayes | 05/31/05
A little expensive,  cashaww | 05/31/05
You gotta love left  cubiclemonkey | 05/31/05
Gee, did your silly little rant help you?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Give it up Ax, you're talking to a wall.  James T. Kirk | 05/31/05
Sadly, you are right.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
How much Euro do RealNetworks and Apple donate to EU piggy bag ?  iloveie | 05/30/05
being fair  Llandros Loressin | 05/31/05
Um... and that's fair, HOW?  escoles@... | 05/31/05
I think you do  cashaww | 05/31/05
Huh?  Rick_K | 05/31/05
Microsoft should just pull out of Europe  githzerai | 05/31/05
Please!  cashaww | 05/31/05
Not  John Zern | 05/31/05
Yes please do that  NemesisNL | 05/31/05
One useful fact:  Anton Philidor | 05/31/05
Works for me  Yagotta B. Kidding | 05/31/05
Yes.. Yes. Puleeeeeze..!  Xunil_Sierutuf | 05/31/05
Don't need to, just tell them to take a walk..  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
All Part of The Hate CampagnAgainst Microsoft  Mark2002 | 05/31/05
re All Part of The Hate CampagnAgainst Microsoft  Llandros Loressin | 05/31/05
What was the last company that did not need to worrry about stupid laws???  DonnieBoy | 05/31/05
It's not about the media player...  Anton Philidor | 05/31/05
You are right, they wantto control US companies.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
You over look the OBVIOUS!!!  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
and the even more obvious  Dave F_z | 05/31/05
But, the "rules" are the issue.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
This isn't a WE HATE MICROSOFT campaign  George Jay | 05/31/05
No it's a WE ARE JEALOUS OF MICROSOFT campaign.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Message has been deleted.  Scrat | 05/31/05
Achtung!! The Nazis Have Struck Again!!  itanalyst | 05/31/05
excellent move EU beat the Hell of M$  toxicfreak | 05/31/05
re excellent move EU beat the Hell of M$  Llandros Loressin | 05/31/05
Wow. the woefully misguided....  John Zern | 05/31/05
lol  eLurker | 05/31/05
Unfotunately, true evil has deep pockets.  Xunil_Sierutuf | 05/31/05
Fortunately, true stupidity doesn't...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
And that's how...  Rick_K | 05/31/05
MS got big because they offered the people what they want.  osreinstall | 05/31/05
Not a rant  Rick_K | 06/02/05
HELP! I can't figure out who I hate more!  Reverend MacFellow | 05/31/05
Who has more influence over what you do with your PC?  Xunil_Sierutuf | 05/31/05
Darth Xunil_Sierutuf  Reverend MacFellow | 05/31/05
Vader  Reverend MacFellow | 05/31/05
ROTFLMAO.. don't forget the sand people..  Xunil_Sierutuf | 05/31/05
Good post.  Anton Philidor | 05/31/05
Clunk  Reverend MacFellow | 05/31/05
Spell Check  Bill4 | 05/31/05
Jsut curious, what if MS just says no...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Re: Jsut curious, what if MS just says no...  none none | 05/31/05
Just to be fair  rapson | 05/31/05
One point, no law has been broken.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
True  rapson | 05/31/05
Re: True  none none | 05/31/05
You forget...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Yes I am  rapson | 05/31/05
You are right.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Man, the system is different, but they were found guilty.  DonnieBoy | 05/31/05
No, not found guilty at all.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Re: Just to be fair  none none | 05/31/05
Microsoft says no  richhayes | 05/31/05
Exactlly, the only ones really hurt are EU users.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
And if MS refuses to pay?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Cap 'em...  Xunil_Sierutuf | 05/31/05
Ah, showing us your intelect again...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Re: And if MS refuses to pay?  none none | 05/31/05
Sorry, you are wrong...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Re: Sorry, you are wrong...  none none | 05/31/05
Again you are wrong...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Actually they just start jailing people  voska | 05/31/05
Another way is to ban Microsoft products from the market for five years  George Jay | 05/31/05
Ban 90% of all EU workers?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Suppose your point is true ...  George Jay | 06/02/05
Jailing who?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
The person in charge  voska | 06/01/05
contempt of court  richhayes | 05/31/05
True  voska | 06/01/05
Must supply....  micker377@... | 05/31/05
Right after they get done with Boeing...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
Man, oh, man ...  Judas I. | 05/31/05
You seem to be very confused...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 05/31/05
But which "10 cent petty dictator"...  Rick_K | 05/31/05
I would choose the software supplier any day.  osreinstall | 05/31/05
That depends  Rick_K | 06/02/05
Dictators will shoot you  osreinstall | 06/02/05
Not as confused as YOU are, Axey.  Judas I. | 06/01/05
Ford doesn't stop you from doing that  voska | 05/31/05
How to defeat MS  osreinstall | 06/01/05

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